1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a buffer and return device for a slide rail in a drawer, and particularly to a buffer and return device where the drawer with the inner rail thereof returns to the original position slowly when the drawer is pushed inward.
2. Description of Related Art:
The application of a slide rail is frequently seen and used in our daily life. For instance, a drawer can be pulled outward to extend the length thereof and can be pushed back to restore the original length thereof so that it is possible for the sliding drawer to save more space than a hinge type application. In addition, the sliding door is also an application of slide rail.
The slide rail, especially the slide rail used in a drawer, is capable of reducing the manual force required to push the drawer inward and to pull it outward. Hence, there are various return devices designed and developed such that the drawer can be slid along the slide rail to reach a locked state before the drawer reaches the end of the stroke thereof. In fact, excessive slide speed or excessive pushing may result in impact, noise and damage of the drawer so it is a subject of interest to move the drawer back to the initial position thereof while providing a buffering function.
The crux of the present invention is to provide a buffer and return device for a slide rail in a drawer that can be attached to an outer rail of the drawer and includes a base, a buffer plunger and an elastic element. The base has a base chamber at a front section thereof. The base chamber has an air passage, a lateral passageway at another section thereof and a bend bottom slot. The buffer plunger has a size thereof corresponding to the base chamber. The elastic element has an end thereof fixed to a front end fo the base chamber. The retaining plate has a holding way for a lock piece for an inner rail in the slide rail moveable between a locked or released position and is connected with the buffer plunger and the elastic element by a lower projection at a bottom thereof for passing through the bottom slot. Once the drawer is pulled outward and then pushed inward, the buffer plunger squeezes the air in the base chamber to discharge via the air passage forcedly to slowly return the drawer to an initial position.